Tag Archives: Holy Father

Juliet (not her real name) was a teacher in the Philippines before she decided to leave abroad for work as a nanny in NYC. Although it was dreadful saying goodbye (leaving her loving husband and 5 children), she thought it was the best option for her so she would be able to help augment the meager income that she and her husband get as contractual employees. At first, she was able to maintain a good relationship with her husband via internet communications, but it didn’t end happily. To cut the story short, their marriage turned sour after 15 years of … Continue reading Faith And Family: The Joy of Love→

I was waiting for my friend at a mall food court when my attention wandered again and again to a table next to mine wherein a family of 5 while having their dinner and nibbling food were preoccupied spending time with their individual technological gadgets (pardon for my kibitzing!). The couple (husband and wife) were busy with their cellphones while the 3 kids were likewise engrossed with their tech devices. The father was talking to someone over the phone, the wife was like enjoying watching something at her phone as she was smiling to herself while the kids were playing … Continue reading Eucharist And Family: The Real Deals!→

I have seen the sad reality of disparity between the rich and the poor and this gap continues to widen through the years and is almost happening in all parts of the globe, particularly in underdeveloped and developing countries where people are predominantly poor. As of 2014, about 80% of the world’s population lives in countries where income differentials are widening. This bleak scenario becomes even worse when victims, particularly the children, of the disaster of poverty can no longer open their eyes and would have no other choice but to wait for their time to die of hunger, to … Continue reading Poverty: A Serious Malady→

Few days ago, we had Valentine’s Day and this week’s Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, two very important celebrations in our lives. And, so? What’s the correlation between Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s day? Well, there is a connection in a way! Apart from being celebrated under the love-month of February, both events have a common variable and that’s “LOVE “. Let me elaborate this before I proceed to the main issue. Some people say that just like bread, expressing love to someone else (couples, sweethearts, etc) should be made fresh everyday and not just on a particular day! But, we have … Continue reading Ash Wednesday: A Gentle Reminder/Call!→

Many of us have probably seen , either in person or on television, some funny and happy moments of the Holy Father from the time the Sri Lankan Airways touched the Philippines’ soil. One was when he peeked through the window plane with his signature “Papal smile” just like a little boy excited to see what’s going on the ground! Another one was when he stepped out of the aircraft and was greeted not only by ecstatic young well-wishers but also by the gust tropical wind which blew away his white skull cap and his white zucchetto which flew off … Continue reading “Blown Away”: A Reflection on Pope Francis’ Wonderful Journey To The Philippines!→

Few days from now, Pope Francis will be in the Philippines for a five-day (January 15-19, 2014) state and apostolic visit primarily to comfort and inspire Filipinos particularly the typhoon and earthquake victims in the Visayas. According to reports, the Holy Father specifically wishes to share his time and to be with the suffering people, urging everyone to strengthen their christian faith especially in trying times. This is the reason why the central theme for the Holy Father’s visit to the Philippines is “mercy and compassion” or “Awa at Malasakit” in our native tongue. Indeed, all of us can be … Continue reading 2015: The Year of Consecrated Life and the Poor!→

Easter Sunday is one of the favorite holidays not only in the United States but in other countries as well. However, it appears that the real essence of Easter has been changed by its commercial dimension. It has been highly commercialized for sometime now instilling in us particularly the kids that Easter Sunday is about fun and fancy with candies, baskets, bunnies, jellies, plastic things and other egg hunting related activities. While interesting and fancy activities may bring joy to kids and families on Easter Sunday, we have to be reminded that its spiritual aspect (e.g. hearing mass, etc. ) … Continue reading The Resurrection of Christ: Its Impact On Us→